Membership Requirements Membership in the Austin Youth Philharmonic Orchestra is open to all interested students in grade 6 and above who qualify through the audition process. String students from schools with orchestra programs must be a member in good standing in their school orchestra. Wind and percussion students must be members in good standing in their school band programs. Membership in the AYO program is contingent upon return of the membership acceptance form with the school orchestra/band director's signature verifying that the student is a member in good standing in the school orchestra/band program and payment of the tuition fee.

Anna Macias

Anna Macias has served as the Director of Orchestras at Lake Travis High School in the Lake Travis ISD since 1996 and has served as a conductor with the Austin Youth Orchestras since 2003. Ms. Macias has served as an organizer for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) High School Region Orchestra since 1999. Since 2002, she has served as a faculty member of the Texas State University Strings Camp. Ms. Macias is affiliated with TMEA, Texas Orchestra Directors Association (TODA), Texas Music Adjudicators Association (TMAA), and Mu Omicron.

In addition to her work with public schools, Ms. Macias maintains a private double bass studio. A graduate of Southwest Texas State University with a degree in Music Education, she has studied Double Bass with Xuang Yuan Lu, David Neubert, and Howard Hudiburg. Ms. Macias has participated in master classes with Gary Karr and attended the Northwestern Bass Camp, hosted by Jeff Bradetich. She has performed with the Balcones Orchestra, the Mid-Texas Symphony, the Abilene Symphony, and the Brazos Valley Symphony. Ms. Macias currently performs with the Temple Symphony Orchestra. She enjoys playing the double bass in musical productions and has performed in several popular shows around Austin during the past decade.

Ms. Macias is an active freelance bassist who has been a member of two Salsa bands and a Western Swing band. In 1997, she attended the Texas Music Camp, hosted by Johnny Gimble, and fell in love with Texas old time fiddling and Western Swing music. In 2000, Ms. Macias formed the Lake Travis Fiddlers, a group of talented middle school and high school students who perform old time fiddle tunes and Western Swing music at various hill country functions.

Rehearsals

The Philharmonic Orchestra rehearses on Monday evenings of the fall and spring semesters, 7:00–9:00 P.M